The residents of Makhachkala demanded to strengthen control over the restoration of the philharmonic building.

The destruction of the bas-relief during the reconstruction of the historical building of the Dagestan Philharmonic has alarmed activists; officials promised to restore the facade elements. The residents of Makhachkala deemed it necessary to tighten control over the progress of the work.

On August 14, the author of the Telegram channel "Old Makhachkala" (6.9 thousand subscribers) Kairav Kageramanov drew attention to the progress of the reconstruction of the building, which was built in 1904.

"According to the plan, the reconstruction should be completed by the end of 2027. The question is: when and where can we see the master plan for the reconstruction? At the same time, another question arises: will the facade bas-reliefs, authored by the teacher of the Dagestan Pedagogical Institute and self-taught sculptor Tatyana Vladimirovna Kritskaya, be preserved?" - the publication states.

On October 25, the same Telegram channel published a post with a video showing a worker destroying bas-reliefs with a perforator. "A big and serious question regarding the restoration (or reconstruction) of the cultural heritage site of regional significance. Is the destruction of the linden on the facade part of the building following a script? Or was it not planned?" - the authors of the publication inquired.

Officials promised to restore the facade elements

On the same day, the Ministry of Culture of Dagestan commented on the situation, stating that "all activities are being carried out in strict accordance with the project documentation," approved by the Agency for the Protection of Monuments and passed state examination.

"According to the restoration plan, the decorative part of the facade will be preserved, and those elements that have been lost due to the dilapidation of the building will be carefully restored," - the agency promised in its Telegram channel.

The Republican Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage reported late on October 26 in its Telegram channel about an on-site observation of the progress of the work. "On October 26, 2026, in connection with the publication in the media on October 25, 2026, about the dismantling of stucco decor and the use of a perforator during work on the cultural heritage site of regional significance 'The building where in 1931 at the XII Dagestan Regional Conference of the Komsomol the Soviet party and state figure Ulyanova Maria Ilyinichna spoke,' located at: Makhachkala, Tikhonova St., 7, the agency's employees conducted an on-site inspection and monitoring of compliance with mandatory requirements," - the agency explained.

Agency specialists established that "the preserved stucco decor is in unsatisfactory condition, while part of the elements has been lost." A representative of the contracting company informed inspectors that "a special rubber mold for making plaster casts has been ordered to recreate the lost elements."

"The agreed scientific and project documentation provides for the restoration of stucco decor and the recreation of lost elements. During the visit, the representative of the contracting organization was informed about the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation on the protection of cultural heritage sites, including regarding the preservation of historical elements and compliance with agreed project solutions," - the publication of the agency states.

Citizens called to preserve the architectural uniqueness of the building

Residents of Makhachkala interviewed by a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" believe it is necessary to strengthen control over the restoration of the philharmonic building. The survey is not representative and reflects only the private opinions of those surveyed.

As if we wouldn't get another "new build"

"This is one of the few architectural objects remaining in the historical part of Makhachkala, it is over 120 years old. As if we wouldn't get another 'new build.' It's good that activists reacted in time; I hope the appearance won't be spoiled," - said, in particular, school teacher Rasul Magomedovich.

An employee of a budget organization Amina shared that she used to go to this philharmonic for concerts with her parents as a child. "My mother told me that Sviatoslav Richter and Mstislav Rostropovich played here, and Maya Kristalinskaya, Edita Piekha, Eduard Khil, Polad Bülbül oglu performed concerts. It's good that the philharmonic is being restored, not replaced by another high-rise building. But the restoration must preserve the architectural uniqueness," - Amina said.

"Constant control over the reconstruction work is necessary. The contractor needs to finish quickly, spend the money, and report on the work done. I believe that public activists should regularly monitor the progress of the work," - expressed the opinion of pensioner Rustam Magomedov.